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Tag Archives: landscape photography

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Eerie tree landscapes created by the fog

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Trees in the Fog, Hay Wood, December 2024

The dull and gloomy weather over Christmas has led to several fog-drenched mornings, which have lingered throughout the day. For photographers, such conditions are ideal for adding atmosphere to compositions. I set off towards Baddesley Clinton, where the presence of the canal network generally guarantees fog. I drove to Hay Wood but stopped by the entrance to Baddesley Clinton on the way to take a picture of the tree-lined entrance. Another good spot is the public footpath on Netherwood Lane. Here, the line-up of trees with a hedge is the perfect location for a sunset picture in the summer. In the winter, the branches add different shapes to the landscape. The fog provided an eerie landscape.

Trees in the Fog, near Baddesley Clinton, December 2024
Windows in the fog. (Footpath off Netherwood Lane, near to Baddesley Clinton.)
Tree lined entrance to Baddesley Clinton, December 2024
Entrance to Baddesley Clinton with dog walker.

Hay Wood has featured in my blog over the years. There are several places in the woods that I like to visit. In spring, there is one area with a carpet of bluebells, and I wondered how it would look in the fog. I brought my tripod with me, and most of the pictures were taken using a long exposure setting, especially in the woods where the light was poor. There was some colour from the remaining leaves. The last few pictures show the oranges and greens of the wood.

Hay Wood in the fog, December 2024
Dancing Branches in the foggy landscape.
Hay Wood in the fog, December 2024
Trees standing in the fog.
Hay Wood, December 2024
Colours of winter in Hay Wood
Hay Wood, December 2024
Orange and green colours in the woodland.

I am pleased that the pictures worked out because I got a flat tyre on the way back and had to wait two hours for the recovery man to arrive. However, I was soon back home editing the pictures. You will see that I varied my black-and-white treatments, either adding a high-key effect or using lots of contrast.

Trees in the Fog, Hay Wood, December 2024
The Escape route, Hay Wood.

These are my settings for each of the pictures, tripod used where stated:-

The Escape Route
f/11, 0.4s, ISO 100 – Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm – Tripod
Windows in the fog.
f/11, 0.3s, ISO 100 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm – Tripod
Entrance to Baddesley Clinton
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 320 – Fujifilm x100vi
Dancing branches.
f/11, 1s, ISO 100 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm – Tripod
Trees standing in the fog
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 320 – Fujifilm x100vi
Colours of winter
F/5.6, 1/100, ISO 2000 – Fujifilm x100vi
Orange and green
F/11, 0.5s, ISO 125 – Fujifilm x100vi – Tripod

As I mentioned Hay Wood has featured before in my blog and the landscape is transformed in Spring

Blue heaven with the bluebells of Hay Wood
Categories blog

Flash, Bang, Wallop Podcast

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Flash, Bang, Wallop Podcast

We are four photographers who got together during lockdown. We enjoyed chatting about photography over zoom and decided that we would love to share our experiences with other photographers out there. As friends we share a passion for taking pictures and as it happens we all photograph a diverse and varied set of subjects. Who are we? There is Martin Kelly our host, who does all the bits and pieces to get our zoom chats up on YouTube etc. Neil Dodd who is based in Switzerland and loves photographing sport especially Swiss Rugby. Ian Lewis who is fortunate to live in Cornwall and takes stunning pictures of the countryside in this beautiful part of the world. Then there is me, Damien Walmsley, who photographs the Birmingham cityscapes and the Warwickshire countryside (plus anything else).

Our Flash, Bang, Wallop Podcast is a monthly show and we cover news, gear and everything photography related including interviewing guests.

You will find our show on
YouTube
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Web site

Please get in touch and you can do this via our Website run by Ian Lewis.

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Regency Wharf

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Regency Wharf, Birmingham, Commended in LPOTY2022 picture taken January 11th

I am delighted to announce that my picture ‘Regency Wharf‘ was commended in the Urban view category of the Landscape Photography of the Year 2022.

The picture will be featured in the LPOTY 2022 book, ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 15’, and will form part of the travelling exhibition in the digital format.

The picture is available to purchase from my website. I include an account below how the picture was taken, the camera used and the post production notes.

On a cold but very bright January morning, I went into Birmingham with my camera. I planned to walk around the City, with a focus on Brindley Place and Gas street Basin. The sun was low and there was an intensity about the light. By mid-morning, I found myself in Gas Street basin outside the Tap and Spile pub. I looked across to the imposing red-bricked building displaying the large stencilled letters, Regency Wharf. The scene looked as if someone had suddenly turned on a bright spotlight. The basin was lit up and the building was radiating the light. The water was perfectly still, allowing mirror like reflections. A person was walking on the tow path towards the canal bridge. I could see that his route would take him in front of the Regency Wharf sign. I lifted my camera, looked through the viewfinder and took several shots of the lone person moving along the path. I was thinking how these pictures would turn out but then quickly moved on as more interesting scenes were developing around me. I took more pictures in and around the area all of which did very well when posted on my social media channels.

Regency Wharf – Damien Walmsley

Camera settings for the picture

The picture was taken on 11th January 2022 at 11.06
The camera was the Fujifilm x100v
Focal length – 23mm
Exposure was 1/10000, f/4, ISO160

Postproduction notes

The RAW file (Fuji – RAF) was opened in Lightroom and the light was so good that there was not much that that needed to be done to the image. I brought out the shadows and reduced the highlights. There was a small amount of saturation added. Once these basic adjustments were done, I took the image into Photoshop and made the decision to crop the picture to highlight the centre of the image. It may be argued that in the original the background to the Regency Wharf building, highlights the new buildings of Birmingham. However, my crop aims to highlight the legacy of Birmingham with a hint of what the future holds.

As I wanted to quickly upload the picture onto Instagram, I used an unsharp mask and then levels on the picture, but it was minimal editing. The light was so strong that the reflections in the water were excellent.

Regency Wharf, Birmingham, Commended in LPOTY2022 picture taken January 11th
The original view of Regency Wharf prior to cropping.

My personal reflections of LPOTY

I submitted 5 photographs for the LPOTY competition. in early summer, I was taken aback when several people on social media shouted out that they were no longer progressing in the competition. I had not received such a notification and on the website, it was asking for submission of a high resolution picture of one of my pictures. There was a mixture of anticipation but confusion. Eventually, I found my email informing me that I had been shortlisted. It was in my spam filter! The RAW files and more detailed explanation of the processing of the picture were submitted to the LPOTY team. There was another long wait. The FAQ on the website said that if I had not heard anything by October then my entry was unsuccessful. As there were no emails in the first 2 weeks of October, I was just happy that I had been shortlisted. It was on a train journey on the Tuesday afternoon prior to the Sunday announcement that I got the email saying that my picture was Commended in the Urban View category. I was so pleased but the rub was that I had to keep it confidential until now. My family are pleased for me and my friends who have been on my photographic journey were happy as well.

People reading this blog will want to know what it takes to be successful in the competition. Several things spring to mind. Always believe in your picture taking and be content with your own work. Social media is not necessarily a good barometer of a successful picture. Be resilient, this was my fourth attempt since my first entry back in 2018. Listen to constructive criticism and research into how others take their photographs. Always be ready to learn and never take rejection of your pictures personally. Pick yourself up and take the camera on a walk. I will be entering again in 2023 and I know it will be just as competitive as ever. However, I will see what happens and happy to enjoy the experience of entering again.

Categories blog

The Malvern Hills and my camera

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Malvern Hills

The Malvern Hills are on our doorstep but surprisingly I have never walked over them. As our family holiday will be based in Loch Lomond, Scotland for a week in August, it was time to get some practice hiking done. In preparation for the walk, I purchased some new hiking boots and I wanted to break them in for a few climbs in Scotland. My daughter, Sian suggested the Malvern Hills and so together with Jim her husband we picked a Saturday morning in July. The spell of hot weather had broken but the forecast for the chosen weekend was rain and thunderstorms which was a worry. Fortunately such weather conditions never materialised bar a few occasional drops of rain.

Malvern Hills
Looking south from the Summit of British Camp


Our plan was to get up early and head for British Camp which is in the southern stretch of the Malvern Hill chain. The car park was empty when we arrived and even the Malvern hills Hotel over the road was very quiet. I was advised to start with this area of the Malvern Hill as some consider it to be the most interesting hill because of the large iron age hill Fort carved into the area. It is a quick hill to climb and once on the summit you have a commanding view of the surrounding geography. Looking North you see the hills in the following order, Black Hill, Pinnacle Hill, Jubilee Hill and Perseverance Hill. In the distance you can make out the highest of all the hills which is the Worcestershire Beacon. British Camp provides a super view, and my camera captured the scene well.

Malvern Hills
View of the Malvern Hills from British Camp

My camera for this adventure was the Fujifilm x100v. It is weather proofed, and ideal for the conditions on the hills over the weekend with the occasional drops of rain. The camera as you will have discovered is very versatile and produces excellent pictures as you will see from this blog. I had looked through many pictures of the hills and I had seen many postcard views. Also I knew that I would have difficulty matching any of the drone fly throughs or pictures that have been published. As always, I use my pictures to tell a story. The main story was the hiking over the hills and therefore some classic “here we are” people pictures are used in the story telling.

Malvern Hills
Sian and James on the summit of British Camp

With the Malvern Hills having been photographed many times before, I was interested in seeking out different views i.e. low down or interesting close ups. Any landscape pictures taken including points of interest in both the foreground and the background. The camera was set on Aperture priority and swapped between f/4 for closeups to f/11 for the landscape views. The sky was a touch gloomy but there was the occasional sun that broke through. Furthermore once you are up on the hills then you can see for miles and miles. The Fujifilm camera is ideal for this story telling as it allows quick pictures of the scene to be taken. It is not ideally suited for landscape photography but you can see if used within its strengths then you can get a good view.

Malvern Hills
Getting ready to hike Pinnacle hill.

Back to the walk, leaving British Camp we hiked up Black Hill with its steep incline and then onto the other peaks. The Malvern hills offer wonderful vistas of the surrounding countryside and on this walk, the air was clear, and you could see well into the distance. It was good hiking over the hills, but I was not fully fit for this type of activity. By the time we got to Perseverance Hill we were very tired, and we could see the Worcestershire beacon in front of us. We made the decision to turn back and the beacon would have to wait for another weekend. Coming back I took several pictures of the wild flowers and the views over the different counties on either side of us.

Malvern Hills
Lone Tree on Perseverance Hill and British Camp in the Distance
Malvern Hills
The grassy verge at the summit of Pinnacle Hill


Back at the car it was a relief to sit down pull the boots off and get ready for the journey home. The Malvern hills are a must as they have everything you need for a good hike. Luckily the weather was just right and we did not get too hot walking over them. We will be back not only to scale the Worcestershire Beacon but to visit the pretty town of Malvern on the side of the hill. Enjoy the pictures and would love to hear about your experiences of hiking over the Malvern Hills

If you are interested in the shoes that I had brought then I recommend the new Inov8 Roclite 345 Gore-Tex Walking Boots which I got at a great price from sportsshoes.com. I like these shoes as they are light and have great grip.
For up-to-date details of the Malvern Hills are covered by several good websites but I found this one to be the best.

Categories blog

Tractor, Tractor, my kingdom for a tractor!

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Tractors lined up for a meeting

Tractors. Lots of tractors! Whilst we were visiting Burton Dassett Hills, over a dozen tractors appeared and parked on the side of Magpie Hill. It appeared to be a tractor rally and although I do not know my tractors, they looked a formidable set of beasts. The owners got out and stood around chatting. I am not a brave soul on asking what was happening but I did have my camera and started snapping. I could have done so much more photography but time was not on my side as the family were ready to leave and the hills were getting very busy as it approached midday. The results of a few quick pictures are for viewing. All taken with my Fujifilm x100v except one iPhone camera picture.

Tractor with door open
Tractor with door open
Discussing the Machinery
Discussing the Machinery
Anatomy of a tractor
Anatomy of a tractor
Tractor Wheel
Tractor wheels
Lining up of tractors
Rear End of two Tractors
One man and his tractors
One man and his tractors
A dog rounding up the tractors
A dog rounding up the tractors

Photographic tips – Quickly seize the opportunity that presents itself. I was shy and did not engage the people and concentrated on the tractors which don’t need talking to. There were some good pictures of wheels, machinary and landscape pictures of the vehicle group I wish I had more time to spend looking around but i was under pressure as the family were leaving to go home!

More Burton Dassett pictures from previous visits are on my blog.
– Burton Dasset Hills Country Park – Escape to the Countryside
– A Glorious Day
If you want more information then follow the Warwickshire County Council site which is packed full of information.
– Burton Dassett Hills Country Park

Categories blog

Burton Dassett Hills Country Park – escape to the countryside

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
All Saints Church

There is always the countryside to escape to during Lockdown#2 and Burton Dassett Hill Country Park deep in the Warwickshire countryside provides an opportunity to get some fresh air, enjoy a walk and see some beautiful scenery. The weather was kind to us on the Saturday afternoon we visited. It was late afternoon and the sun was creating lovely colours through the clouds. It was possible to see well into the distance and on this visit I made my way to All Saints Church. Here are some pictures from the day to enjoy.

Barton Dassett Hills Country Park - setting sun
Barton Dassett Hills Country Park – setting sun
On top of Magpie Hill
On top of Magpie Hill
Hill walking
Going down is easier than going up
Magpie Hill with Windmill Hill in the background
Magpie Hill with Windmill Hill in the background

All the pictures were taken with my Canon 5D mark IV and I brought two lens with me. The first is my “go to” 24-70mm which always gives great pictures. I also used by 200mm zoom for some of the pictures as well. The setting sun provided beautiful light making the photography a delight. My favourite picture is of All Saints Church and the lovely glow of light on the stone architecture. Unfortunately the church was not open due to the Coronavirus so look forward to visiting again when the restrictions are relaxed.

the lane to the Vicarage at the Church
Beautiful light in the lane to the Vicarage at the Church
End of the day with a beautiful view
End of the day with a beautiful view from the slopes of Windmill Hill

Further reading
A Glorious Day – read about my first visit to Burton Dassett
Burton Dassett Hills Country Park – Warwickshire County Council Web Page

Categories blog

The North Cornish Coast

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

The North Cornish Coast is spectacular, and we visited only a small section of the coast around and to the north of Newquay.  My favourites were Watergate Bay and the Bedruthan Steps.  Unfortunately, I did not have my filters with me for the steps, but I was still able to capture the water flow in slow motion.  There was not that many sunsets but the opportunity to be by the sea was just great and a few pictures tell the story.